"Clean Feet and Healthy Hearts"

7-12-02

Jn. 13:1-17

Clean Feet and Healthy Hearts

Intro.

                It would be the determining game of the football season my senior year.  The flying eagles of Churubusco High School vs. the fighting lions of Leo High School¼the winning team would win the conference by best record.   It was a tough conference.  Most of the schools were larger than our school. We had never in the history of our school won the conference.

                It was Friday night football and the stands were packed.  Our coaches told us to take a knee in the end zone huddled around the goal post for that final pre-game talk.  Our head coach, Coach Jones, talked us through the game plan one more time and told us what he thought it would take for us to win.  And then he said that the defensive coach wanted to say a word.  I’d noticed that Coach Coyle had been nervously pacing away from everybody.  He was looking off into the distance, not searching for words, but rather trying to compose himself with all the emotion he was feeling.  He had been a college quarterback at Ball State and he was filled with passion about the game of football. He wanted this game.

                Everyone had their eyes and ears glued to the coach in anticipation of what he would say. The coach swallowed hard, took a deep breath and then he began to speak...

--At times like that, we recognize the increased value of a man's words.  It's not that what he'd said all season and all his life wasn't important, it was!!  But now what he'd say at this strategic moment was to have utmost significance.

                The Apostle John presents Christ's life to us in much the same way. John takes 12 Chapters to show us the pre-incarnate Christ in eternity past. We are given insight into 30+ years of His private and public ministry. We are given glimpses of the highlights.

                And then he shifts into slow motion in chapters 13-17; taking 5 chapters to cover the few short hours on the night of His betrayal.

                He moves slowly: recounting the thoughts, replaying the actions, reliving those last emotional moments of the "Passion week of Christ".

                John (looking back on what he witnessed) wants us to experience the wisdom of this Jesus who was the Christ.

                His is a path to enthronement. In order to reach the throne Christ would lay down His life. It was time for the Son of man to experience death for all men.

He must prepare His disciples for His coming absence from them.

How great value His words would have.

He would reveal a strategic, precise, plan that would be used to reach all men.

He would reveal the means by which the power would be made available.

The message of those few short hours had a radically transforming influence on Christ's disciples - they were never the same afterward.

We have the privilege in the next few weeks to look in and feel the weight of Christ's statements...and I pray...take them to heart and live them out in our lives today.

Next several weeks -- John 13-17

Jesus' final words to His disciples

He speaks with a different tenor than ever before. We notice a marked change after Judas leaves.

-These strategic words had been saved for this moment.This is one of the reasons John gives  so much  space to these words; they transformed His life from the Son of Thunder to the Apostle of Love.

v.1 Feast of the Passover

                This was the most important religious festival of them all. It was a week-long festival on the  14th of Nisan April). From all over Palestine, all who were able came.

                It signified:

                -deliverance from slavery

                -deliverance from God's judgement on first born

                -the death angel would passover their house

                Jesus would use this event-to teach about Himself.  The Passover pictured God's ultimate redemptive plan.  Christ's shed blood would protect all who would appropriate it.

v.1 serves as the introduction to chaps. 13-17

In these chapters, our Lord teaches about footwashing, heaven, Holy Spirit, Spiritual Union, Abiding in Christ, intercessory prayer

                John begins, overwhelmed by His Savior's love.

"...having loved them...He loved them...to the uttermost, eternally"-with a perfect love!

Having loved His own...He saw it through!

                In 13:21, Jesus was troubled so that in 14:1 He could say to His followers, "Don't be troubled..."

-greatest - foot washing

-facing death of cross 14:18 I'll not leave you! Comforter prayer

example of love to follow!

                In vss. 2,3, Jesus introduces the passage on foot washing by way of contrast. Judas and satan thought they were in control.  What an ingenious way to destroy God's plan! We'll kill the Messiah. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things in His hand (power).

Jesus knew His:

a. authority  "... all things were in his hands..."

b. divine origin "...He had come forth from God..."

c. future glory (certain victory) "...and was going back to God..."

Knowing these things, knowing full well who He was, knowing that He had absolute preeminent importance in God's universe, knowing where He was going...

 read Jn. 13:4,5

                There are some things going on in the background that we need to understand if we are to comprehend the significance of Jesus' actions for our lives.

                Lk. 22:24 indicates that a dispute had arisen among them as to which one was to be regarded as greatest. Perhaps it had arisen in deciding seating arrangements.  Who gets to sit where in this all important meeting. This was a board meeting that was not fun.  You could cut this air with a knife.  This place is filled with tension.

                In Matt. 20:20-28, Zebedee's sons, James and John, had been squabbling over choice of kingdom seats. This would have been 2 or 3 days before this time.  It was a simmering problem.

                They come into this upper room; there is a basin of water there, there is a towel,  but no servant.

                One by one they would have passed the pitcher, "Not me! No way!"

                To wash their feet was the norm.  It was unthinkable not to have one's feet freshly washed; especially for this special occasion. There were no cement streets or sidewalks. They would have walked in a fine dust in the dry season, mud and slosh in the rainy season. Their streets would have been littered with animal waste, and they would have worn sandals suited the climate.

                That was the way life was. Everyone expected a hospitable host to provide a servant to wash their feet. It was the job of the lowest man on the totem pole. The "lowest peon". If there was no servant, then the youngest got the job. But it had to be done. Nobody did. The entire group of disciples are living in denial.  Our feet aren’t dirty!  They recline to eat this very special meal and they are conscious of the fact that their feet have the filth of the streets on them. They are eating when Jesus rises from the supper to wash their feet.

                I believe that it is by divine design there was no one to wash their feet. The Bible doesn't say it, but I have got to believe that God planned it that way. Remember the sign - "A man carrying a pitcher of water." Jesus knew the water would be there!

                Jesus allows the silence to grow deafening; allows them to stew in their selfishness, and then teaches a lesson that they would never forget. It would transform their lives. It would be the foundation for the propagation of His truth.

                If this concept was misunderstood, the whole of the Christian movement would be with out solid footing (no pun intended). Christianity would not be believable.

                They must understand, so must we!! Failure to practice what Christ demonstrated would cause the Gospel to come from disoriented people with powerless lives.

                Jesus' action and His method of teaching reminds me of a story

about two farmers and a donkey. The one farmer sold the donkey to the other farmer. He delivered the donkey, took the money and left. The farmer with his new donkey wanted to do some work and screamed and screamed at the donkey but could not get the donkey to move. In frustration he called the former owner and asked him how he got the donkey to work.  He said,"I just talk to him." So he said, "would you come talk to him?"

                The farmer arrived. Walked up to the donkey, found a two by four and smacked the donkey across his nose. Then in a normal tone of voice said, "Let's go to work".

                You do have to get his attention first.

-The Disciples were so pre-occupied with fear of Jews and selfish desires for greatness.  Jesus had to smack them between the eyes first. That's the impact this action would have had.

(v.4) He rises (John writes in present tenses for dramatic effect. He lays aside "garments", the outer tunic not the inner garment of softer material. Jesus is dressed in a loin cloth. He has symbolically donned the attire of an Oriental slave.

"He girds Himself about..."

wrapped long towel around waste

                Years later, Peter would write: (I Peter 5:5) "clothe yourselves with humility toward one another."  Where'd he get that idea?

                In his mind and heart, a picture had been drawn that he couldn't erase. It was that moment in time when the God of the universe washed his dirty feet.

(v.5)

                The disciples must have set there in silence, unbelief and shock.

-it threatened them; (in light of their arguing)

-it violated their cultural tradition

-it cut to the center of their prideful, selfish hearts

(v.6)

Peter expressed all their feelings

"Do you wash my feet?"

(v. 7)

"What I do you do not realize (oida) now, but you shall understand (ginosko) hereafter."

"you do not have full, complete, mature knowledge of..."

"but, by observation and a process of time you will come to understand"

2 observations:

                1. You have not arrived at true servanthood if you smugly, confidently sit back and claim that the loving servanthood being called for is old hat with you - you side with some power hungry disciples. They thought they were serving humanity by holding on to their positions.

                2. You will be approaching true servanthood by a process of time and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in you. You will understand as you make these concepts a part of your every day life.

Peter responds in v.8 (more literally...) "You shall by no means wash my feet as long as the world stands!"

-I don't understand now, I'll never understand, you're not washing my feet!

Jesus responds  "If I do not wash you, you have no part with me."

-Jesus didn't mean, "Unless you clean your feet you're not eating here!'

                ill. Sign at the door- "No shoes, no shirt, no service"

Peter didn't take it that way.  He knew there was a deep significance to what Jesus had said.

(silly response--comic relief) v.9  lit. footwashing? then "wash everything, if that's what it takes!"

                At the deepest essence, Jesus way saying, "If you're not willing to accept my self-humiliation on your behalf in this act of foot-washing; then when I go through the ultimate humiliation of dying for you, you will not humble yourself and accept that either.

                ( v.10) Jesus was saying, "You must allow me to be your servant!"

                It was becoming obvious now that Jesus was speaking of a spiritual cleansing as in chapter 3, He spoke of a Spiritual birth not a literal rebirth. In chapter 4, He spoke of living spiritual water ; in chapter 6 He spoke of spiritual bread of life, and in chapter 13, He speaks of a spiritual cleansing.

                Jesus teaches an important truth of eternal security.

You do not need to be born again and again...You need to be bathed once. You need to come to Christ for cleansing once. But, someone who is bathed spiritually, will need to have their feet washed regularly. This is due to daily contact with a sinful, dirty world.

                In that culture, a person would bathe before going to someone's home. Upon arrival, they would not need another bath, but they would need to have the dust or mud of the street washed from their feet. Relationship vs. fellowship

"You are clean..."-great sigh of relief

"...but, not all of you." (10b-11) You could have heard a pin-drop as Jesus finished washing their feet.*

-they wondered if He'd not wash one (or two) disciple's feet

(v. 12) "Do you know what I have done to you?"

Peter, battered and bruised, said nothing.

Jn. 13:13-15

                In v.14, the word "ought" signifies:

-moral compulsion   -obligatory upon disciples   -moral duty; not mere suggestion

What are we morally compelled to do?  Options:

1. Ordinance

Mennonites, Brethren, Church of God -- practice the literal washing of each other's feet; usually on Maundy Thursday  - "Day of the Mandate"

                Personally, I don't see that as being the point to which Jesus is masterfully moving throughout His farewell discourse. It lacks Scriptural support.

2.  Humble servants to each other

                This is it! Servanthood is the foundation of everything in Christianity. It's the foundation of love.    Don't miss this ultimate statement of humility. Twenty-four hours from His death, He is washing the feet of these bickering disciples.  Is there ever a time when it won't be appropriate for you to serve?! If the God of the universe played the role of a servant, so should you!

                v. 16 teaches this:

"Truly, truly..." This is the moral of the story. Here is a heavy statement, don't miss it!!

                Perhaps Jesus is reflecting back on their dispute over who was to be the greatest. He repeats a thought he'd taught elsewhere.

"Whoever is the servant of all is the greatest!"

                But, may I suggest that foot-washing means more than serving.

3. The application of God's Word to each others' lives.

                Jesus pictures for His Disciples spiritual cleansing.

That is part of what foot-washing is. Then in v. 14, He tells them to "...wash each other's feet." Not their own, each others.

                In order to do this, we must practice Gal. 6:1 "Brethren, if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. looking to yourselves lest you too be tempted."

                We have the moral obligation to cleanse each other with the Word of God.

                This is a ministry that is often abused, so let me make some practical suggestions for cleaning feet:

1. Use water.

                Don't try to clean feet without water. Dry cleaning may work for clothes, but it takes some skin off when you try to do that to feet. In the Scriptures, water represents the Word of God. Holding ourselves to the Scriptures will help us to distinguish between Biblical absolutes and our own preferences. 

                ill. You may prefer classical gospel music to country gospel music and feel so strongly about it that you want to rebuke a brother. Clean his feet. But, you are going to have a hard time proving from the Scriptures that we are talking about a biblical absolute.  We are looking at an area where we are to allow freedom.

2. Make sure the water is the right temperature.

                Feet are very sensitive.

                If you are going to be successful in ministering cleansing and refreshment to a brother or sister, you have to be conscious of their ability to receive the Word. Work within their comfort zone.  Washing feet is sensitive business.

3. You can know all this and be miserable.  (v.17)

                Happiness doesn't come from knowing these things.  Knowing these things brings grief and a burden.           Telling others that they need to be a servant, washing the feet of their brothers, does not create spiritual freedom.  Doing it is what produces the freedom. There has to be a bias toward action or we are deceiving ourselves.

                Jesus grabbed his men by the throat and said, You've got to do this!

                "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet."  You will be blessed if you do this!